Here are the 10 best laptop deals for October 2018

Monday, October 8th 2018, 1:48 PM CDT

By Lucas Coll

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Shopping for a new computer can be fun, but it can also be a headache given the wide range of options available today. The addition of newer touchscreen and 2-in-1 laptops doesn’t make it any simpler to find the right laptop for you. It’s not hard to get choice paralysis when shopping for a PC, even if you already have a fixed budget in mind, but our research can make your life a little bit easier. Whether you’ve still got some Christmas money to burn or you just need a new computer for work or play, we’ve got your back.

Below are the best laptop deals available for January 2019. Our picks offer something for just about everyone, from those who like the convenience of a touchscreen, to gamers and dedicated Apple fans. Best of all, since a number of these PCs feature 7th-generation Intel CPUs, these laptop deals offer deep discounts that can save you a lot of cash if you’re not fussy about having (and paying hundreds of dollars more for) the newest hardware.

Dell has built its reputation on solid, no-nonsense, and affordable Windows computers. Its Inspiron 11 3000 is about the cheapest name-brand Windows 10 PC you’re likely to find, and this laptop deal is a great alternative to a Chromebook if you’re not interested in learning Chrome OS. The Inspiron 11 3000 is compact and portable, too, with its 11.6-inch display. It runs on a dual-core AMD processor and 4GB of RAM, and you’ve got 32GB of flash storage for your basic apps and work files.

This won’t replace your desktop PC or full-sized Windows laptop, but at a super-cheap $159 from B&H after a nice $41 savings, the 11-inch Dell Inspiron 11 3000 would make a great backup computer, portable workstation, or even a gift for a techie you know.

Hybrid laptops are commanding an increasingly large share of the Windows PC market, but there are also a growing number of good 2-in-1 Chromebooks out there as well. The Lenovo C330 is a compact and budget-friendly example, with an 11.6-inch HD touchscreen and a hybrid form factor that lets you flip the screen, fold it flat, and use the Chromebook like a tablet.

The Lenovo C330 is a little bit of a step-up spec-wise from the Samsung Chromebook, too, with a 2.1 GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of flash storage. It’s on sale right now from Amazon for $239, saving you $61.

If you want a Chrome OS laptop that’s full-sized and a bit beefier than the Samsung model (but one that’s still highly affordable), check out the larger Acer 14-inch Chromebook. Acer’s Chromebook remains one of best you can find for less than $300 thanks to its quick performance, generous battery life, great 14-inch HD display, and the excellent value that it provides.

Its dual-core Intel Celeron N3160 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of flash storage give you everything you need for your daily work, while the pre-installed Chrome OS updates automatically so it runs fast and stays fast. The Acer Chromebook 14 can be yours from Amazon for $287 with free shipping.

Acer makes some great Chromebooks, but this brand built its name on its affordable Windows laptops like the Aspire series. The 15-inch Acer Aspire E 15 is the perfect entry-level work computer, running on an 8th-gen Intel Core i3-8130U CPU, 6GB of RAM, and a 1-terabyte hard drive, which are solid specs for a no-frills everyday work machine.

At $380 from Amazon around the same price as (or even cheaper than) many of the best Chromebooks this is one of the only Windows 10 laptops you’re going to find with an 8th-gen Intel CPU for less than 400 bucks.

PC makers are increasingly offering hybrid designs that combine the functionality of a laptop and portable convenience of a tablet, and for anyone looking for a workhorse 2-in-1 Windows 10 laptop, the Dell Inspiron 15 series is a great place to start. The 5000 model sports a dual-core Intel Core i3-7130 CPU plus 4GB of DDR4 RAM for snappy performance when multitasking. The 15.6-inch IPS touch laptop display has a crisp 1080p Full HD resolution, while the Intel UHD Graphics 620 integrated GPU provides enough power for light gaming. The large 1TB hard drive also offers plenty of room for all of your files and software.

The Inspiron 15 5000 2-in-1 is already pretty budget-friendly at its usual price of $549, but a $150 discount on B&H brings this foldable tablet-like hybrid laptop down to $399. You may also want to take a look at the Dell XPS line if you’re looking for something with a little more power. Dell Small Business offers some great choices if you’re looking to equip your growing team, as well.

Asus has also been riding the 2-in-1 trend with its own hybrid designs, but when it comes to solid PCs built for work, this brand still makes some of the best (and most affordable) traditional Windows laptops. Asus has earned its popularity by proving that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a solid computer that’s made to last, and the Vivobook F510UA is a great midrange Windows 10 machine.

The Vivobook F510UA packs an 8th-gen Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB hard drive, which are excellent up-to-date specs for a PC that rings in at around $500 bucks: An $89 savings brings it down to $510 from Amazon.

Although it used to be the case that gaming laptops lagged far behind desktop PCs in the hardware department, in recent years we have seen this gap shrink considerably thanks to models like the MSI GF63, which has a very impressive price-to-performance ratio. An 8th-generation Intel Core i5-8300H processor, Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU, and 8GB of RAM easily tackle most games, while the 1TB HDD offers plenty of storage.

You’d normally expect to pay around $200 more for a gaming laptop with hardware similar to a desktop PC. Considering that laptops already have displays and keyboards, the MSI GF63 is a great value at $569 ($230 off with an $80 rebate card) from Newegg, and is a solid laptop deal for anyone looking for a machine that can handle both work and play.

For another great gaming laptop that has a little more juice than the MSI GL63 (while still ringing in at well under a grand), check out the GV62, which packs an Nvidia GTX 1060 arguably the best “bang for buck” GPU around right now. This graphics card, together with a 8th-generation i5-8300H CPU and 8GB of RAM, delivers plenty of power for running modern games at high settings with a good deal more future-proofing than you’ll get with the GTX 1050. You also get a large and fast 256GB SSD, which offers much snappier performance than standard hard drives.

Gaming laptops with a GTX 1060 can run for as much as $1,200, but the MSI GV62 is currently available for just $619 from Newegg ($430 off after a $150 mail-in rebate). This is one the best prices we’ve ever seen for a laptop with this GPU.

Microsoft’s excellent Surface Pro series continues to be one of the best attempts at bridging the gap between tablets and laptops. The new Surface Pro 6 is actually our favorite 2-in-1 Windows 10 computer on the market today, thanks to its great display, super-solid build quality, and superb battery life. As great as the Surface Pro is, though, you typically have to buy the keyboard case separately (and it’s not really a “2-in-1” laptop without it).

Luckily, Amazon has the Surface Pro 6 bundle on sale right now, letting you score this Windows 10 tablet/PC hybrid with a platinum-colored Type Cover keyboard case for as low as $924 ($137 off) for the model with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.

Pretty much all of the major PC manufacturers are offering 2-in-1 hybrid models today, but HP has remained near the forefront of this trend with its excellent Spectre series. The Spectre x360 13t is the smaller member of this HP PC family, hitting the Goldilocks zone in size with its 13.3-inch Full HD touch display. The lid’s hinge rotates so you can turn the display around and fold it flat, effectively turning the laptop into a tablet when you don’t need the keyboard and touchpad.

Under the hood, the Spectre x360 13t runs on an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and Intel UHD 620 integrated GPU, along with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which are excellent specs for a laptop of this size. The HP Spectre x360 13t touchscreen laptop can be yours for $900 from HP after a $230 discount.

When it comes to solid laptops built for work, it still doesn’t get much better than the ThinkPad. ThinkPads have been around for a long time and remain popular for a reason they’re made to last. The super-thin ThinkPad X1 Carbon is no exception, featuring great build quality paired with features befitting a modern ultrabook. In its standard configuration, the 14-inch X1 Carbon packs an 8th-gen Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256GB solid state drive that offers faster performance than traditional HDDs.

For its ongoing January promotion, Lenovo is offering a 30-percent discount on the ThinkPad X series: The base X1 Carbon is already discounted by $152 when you order online, but the checkout code THINKJANSALE knocks this slim ultrabook down to $1,063 for a total savings of $456. (Note that this configuration lacks the multi-touch screen, but you can upgrade to that for $85.)

MacBook deals can be fleeting, so buying refurbished is the easiest way to score Apple hardware at a discount. Although laptops keep getting thinner and lighter and Apple is no longer the only game in town, the slimmed-down MacBook is still a great choice if you’re looking for a lightweight computer and aren’t a fan of Windows. The 2017 MacBook offers plenty of performance despite its size, with a 7th generation Intel Core i5 CPU, a snappy 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD of speedy flash storage.

The 12-inch Retina display boasts a 1440p HD resolution and the internal battery offers up to 12 hours of juice plenty for a full day’s work before needing to be replenished. A $200 discount knocks this professionally refurbished MacBook down to $1,099 directly from the Apple Store, making this the best Apple laptop deal in our roundup.

A laptop with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 will deliver even greater performance than the previous two gaming PCs we’ve listed, but most laptops with this GPU will bring you close to the $2,000 threshold. Enter the MSI GP63, which can now be yours for $1,299. Along with the GTX 1070 graphics card with 8GB of VRAM, this laptop features an Intel i7-8750H CPU, 16GB of RAM, both a 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD, and a 15.6-inch Full HD display. These specs easily propel the GP63 into the “gaming desktop replacement” laptop category.

The MSI GP63 is already marked down to $1,379 on Newegg ($320 off of its usual price), but a limited-time $80 mail-in rebate means you can score it for an even cheaper $1,299. This is close to the price of many laptops running the GTX 1060, and is about the cheapest you’re likely to find for a new one with the beefier GTX 1070.

If the regular MacBook didn’t whet your appetite but you still want some Apple hardware, then we’ve got another pick for you. This 13-inch MacBook Pro is the newer model, featuring Apple’s Touch Bar along with a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB RAM, which combine to provide snappy performance for work, entertainment, and multitasking. Apple touches like a 256GB SSD, a super-crisp 2,560 x 1,600 resolution Retina display, and a backlit keyboard complete the package.

This 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is typically priced at $1,799, but you can score a refurbished one from Apple in silver or space gray for $1,529 and save $270. If you want a new one, though, then B&H has this model on sale for $1,699, which still saves you 100 bucks.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.

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